The former president of the International Union of Superiors General of religious congregations has said that "centralism" in the Roman Curia prevents direct dialogue between religious orders and Pope John Paul II.

In a soon-to-be-published article, Carmelite Fr Camilo Maccise said the lack of opportunity to meet the pope face to face "is a subtle way of blocking space for indispensable dialogue for intraecclesial collaboration."

The Union of Superiors General is an umbrella group that represents more than 240 male religious orders worldwide. Fr Maccise served as the group's president for six years until November 2000.

In an interview with Catholic News Service last week, Fr Maccise said that in the 1980s it had been the norm for the union to have a direct audience with the pope every year or two. But he said the union's last meeting with Pope John Paul was in 1990, at the end of its general assembly in Rome.

Fr Maccise said he fears that some criticisms in a final document drawn up by the union at that assembly may have alienated Vatican officials.